Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has decided to remove the management of 51 temples from under the control of the Char Dham Devasthanam Board and reconsidered its formation.
- Akhadas, seers, priests of Char Dham and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders had raised the issue of the management board, demanding its dissolution in the interests of local priests who have been traditionally managing these shrines.
- The Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Board was constituted on January 15, 2020 following a bill “the Uttarakhand Char Dham Shrine Management Bill, 2019” passed by the State Assembly.
- Under this board, at present there are 53 temples, including four shrines – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri – and other temples located around these shrines.
- The Char Dham Board is the highest governing body for the management of the temples with powers to frame policies, make decisions to give effect to the provisions of this Act, of budget formulation and to sanction expenditure, among others.
- The Chief Minister is the chairman of the Char Dham Devasthanam Board whereas the minister for religious affairs is the vice-chairman of the board.
(Reference: Indian Express)
